Babatunde Fashola Celebrated In Pictures

The Governor’s personal photographer chronicles his principal’s activities from 2006 in a quality publication for posterity

LAGOS State Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), was roundly applauded on Thursday, October 31 at City Hall, Lagos Island, when a pictorial book written by his personal photographer, Lukman Olaonipekun, was presented.

Titled ‘Babatunde Fashola: A Story in Photographs’, the book contained images from over 5 million stock films  Olaonipekun started taking from 2006 when Fashola began his campaign to become the state governor.

Though he couldn’t make the presentation personally, Fashola was represented at the event by his wife, Abimbola. She was joined by chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC), officials of the Lagos State Government and people of goodwill, in unveiling the book published by CLRN Publishers.

Former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Fashola’s former boss  at the law firm, Sofunde, Osakwe, Ogundipe and Belgore,  Ebun Sofunde (SAN), the Asoju Oba of Lagos, Chief Molade Okoya Thomas and  Fola Arthur Worrey  were among those that added colour to the ceremony.

Speaking at the event, Fashola recalled that Olaonipekun, popularly called Lukesh joined his team in 2006 and that unknown to him, he had no personal camera. He wouldn’t have known that the young man was renting the camera he was using daily until the day the campaign was grounded because Lukesh was indebted to the camera’s owner who refused to release it.

The Governor immediately ordered a new camera from London for him that same day. Since then, there has been no looking back for the intrepid Lukesh in documenting Fashola’s daily activities. “I am very proud of what he has produced,” the Governor said.

He also thanked the publisher, Supo Shasore (SAN) and Oando’s chief executive officer, Wale Tinubu, who wrote the foreword, for their kind words. He disclosed that Shasore and his co-conspirators had wanted to include the book presentation in the activities marking his 50th birthday but he told them he wanted a quiet celebration.  He said he thought he had nipped their plan in the bud only to discover that they had only tactically retreated to launch their plan. “To say I was pleasantly surprised when Lukesh showed me the finished work would be an understatement,” the Governor said.

Earlier, the book reviewer, Jimi Disu, had described ‘Babatunde Fashola: A Story in Photography’ as a “beautiful book that I will recommend to everybody.”

The chief presenter, Ebun Sofunde, lauded the Governor and noted that he doesn’t condone incompetent people around him.

Anyaoku disclosed that he has always admired Fashola and that though he is not a politician, he takes keen interest in Nigerian politics. “In the politics of our country, Fashola is a pace setter,” he said while highlighting how the Governor has transformed Lagos.  “In terms of personal style, there is a lot to be admired about Fashola. He is not noisy, flamboyant and does not make promises he doesn’t intend to keep. He is a man of few words and what we badly need in our country, not just Lagos,” the retired diplomat said.

Secretary to the Lagos State Government, Dr Ranti Adebule, the state chairman of the APC, Henry Ajomale and National Chief Missioner, Ansar-ud-Deen Society of Nigeria, Sheikh Abdurahman Ahmed, spoke in the same vein.

Chief Okoya-Thomas, on his part, expressed his displeasure with the understated nature of the presentation. “You have not invited people that matter because we have come to celebrate a great man. We are going to have a re-launch because Fashola is not a small fish in this country. In fact, let nobody say this is not the best governor in Nigeria. The standard of celebration must be very high.”

The author, who was overwhelmed and paused intermittently to regain composure, thanked his principal and all those who facilitated the book’s publication. “I hope the book has made the point that photography is vital to history,” Olaonipekun said while making a case for the inclusion of photography in the school curriculum.

The publisher, Shasore, also highlighted the importance of the book, noting that “This is a work that will guide the incoming generation. It is a record of a life in public service that is still incomplete.”